


Night Fall

by skyshined



Series: Night Fall [1]
Category: Chronicles of Riddick Series, Pitch Black (2000)
Genre: Gen, Secrets, Survival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-19
Updated: 2012-04-10
Packaged: 2017-11-08 15:31:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/444691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyshined/pseuds/skyshined
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The docking pilot of the Hunter-Gratzner purged not only the cargo, but the passengers too, saving her and the co-pilot, but leaving the passengers to die. The survivors are left to find a way to survive on the barren wasteland of a planet, which becomes that much harder when night falls and the monsters come out. With an escaped convict being the best bet for survival there's no telling who will make it out alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Purged

“We were purged!”

“They just left us to die?!”

“Maybe they’re going to get us help…”

Jack frowned as she watched the other survivors. The adults talked of what was happening, the boys, _other boys_ she told herself so she didn’t start slipping up, were speaking in some foreign language she couldn’t hope to guess the origins of. Too many different people practiced Chrislam… at least that seemed to be what they were… the clothes the rosary… This left Jack very much alone. At least they all seemed to buy that she was a boy…

Her eyes flitted around to see if anyone was paying her any attention before she slipped away, they wouldn’t miss her for a couple of minutes while they argued about being ditched on this hellhole. Really they all needed to suck it up, because those people in charge owed them nothing, why should they have died for a bunch of people they never met? Either way it didn’t matter, someone way more interesting was inside do to that wanna-be cop.

Jack took in the lot of them trying to pick someone to buddy up to and it was between Riddick and Shazza… one of them was her best chance of survival. Of course if Riddick wasn’t chained up, there wouldn’t be a competition. She slipped in the part of the ship he was being held in and watched as his head tilted to the side a bit showing that he obviously knew she was there. Keeping close to the wall Jack watched him as she moved to stand in front of him, about an arm’s length away.

Looking around Jack blew a breath out her nose. A bit too? What was he going to do? Kill them with his words? Doubtful. He was facing her but his head was cocked to the side like he was thinking. Jack frowned as she looked down at his legs. She couldn’t go too close in case he wanted a hostage; she couldn’t really let the others know what she was up to. Besides, if he did something like that they’d be more willing to leave him here to rot if they decided to leave the wreckage behind.

“Uh… I could probably take the bit out… drop it on the floor and make it look like it was loose from the crash…” Jack insisted trying to keep her voice low. Usually when she slipped up though people just thought her voice was cracking, apparently something that happened when boys went through puberty.

His shoulders lifted then fell.

It seemed to be up to her.

Looking out towards the ripped open part of the passenger bay Jack could still hear the others carrying on. Shifting around she walked around to his side, making sure she didn’t get trapped by his legs. It wasn’t hard to unclip the bit, and he spit it out on his own. Her only problem was when she went to step away she found that he had grabbed onto one of her overly baggy shirts.

“What’s your name kid?” Riddick asked as she found that he was actually looking at her thanks to the tare in his blindfold.

“Jack,” She said trying to seem confident about it. It was really her name, but even with just one eye he seemed to be looking right into her.

“Well Jack, you wanna get this blindfold off me too?” Riddick suggested as he watched the kid.

“I can’t let you go,” Jack insisted as she looked down at her shirt in his hand.

“I didn’t ask you to let me go, just asked if you’d get this off,” Riddick insisted as he slowly let go of Jack’s shirt. The name and look was throwing him for a loop but Jack smelt suspiciously female. He wanted a better look to see what was up.

Jack bit her lip looking towards where the others would come from if they were looking for her before she started pulling the blindfold off. She grumbled when he moved his head, he was like a dog that wouldn’t let you get his collar off even though that’s what they wanted. She moved closer her legs touching his, before she hissed when he jerked again making a displeased noise at her. She shuffled around him a little more before she finally succeeded in getting the blindfold off. Dropping it to the ground she glared at him meaning to ask why he’d been so difficult only for the words to get caught in her throat when she gasped, catching him grinning at her. “Fuck,” Jack yelped trying to jump back only he slipped his legs around one of hers, trapping her thigh between his. 

“Language,” Riddick taunted the kid as he kept her close. Jack jerked in his hold and he didn’t need to be told anymore, Jack was definitely a girl. She was close and she smelt like a girl and with her pant leg pulled taunt there was the slight flare of a hip, not to mention when he shifted around shoving his leg more firmly between her thighs certain things were missing. “Little girls shouldn’t talk like that.”

“Shit!” Jack yelped trying to keep her voice down as she clapped her hands over his mouth to keep him quiet. She knew that she couldn’t make him do anything, but he couldn’t go around saying shit like that. Riddick chuckled behind her hands as he watched her, content to keep her right where she was while she demanded, “You can’t fucking tell anyone.”

His look said it all. Asking if she was challenging him to do otherwise, and she whimpered pleadingly, “Please you can’t, or they’ll start watching my every move. Please…”

Riddick’s beast swelled at her pleading but he shoved it back down, because he knew that Johns would eat this kid alive if he knew what she did to him. He licked her hand reminding her to let go of his mouth so she could actually get her answer. It caused her to jerk her hands away as he kept his silver eyes on her. She looked him dead in the eye and he knew that she was interested in him; even if she was worried he was going to give her away. “Fine but you owe me,” Riddick drawled, “And I’ll be keeping your tab open, so be careful how nice you let me be to you.” After a second he let go of her leg before adding, “Now go find something to plug that shit up with, and soon, or you’re going to be explaining why a boy has bloody pants.”

“That’s twice now isn’t?” Jack asked with a light frown.

“Three, I didn’t have to let you go, could have waited for someone to come in here and make me,” Riddick said, a wicked grin crossing his lips. Leaning out towards her as much as he could he purred, “Kid I can feel it, by the end of this I’m going to own your ass.” He particularly liked the blush that lit up her cheeks, making them flare bright with his altered vision. “Now get going.”


	2. Learning

Thankfully it seemed that the cargo bay made it in one piece and along with Paris finding his coffin of liquor, Jack found her backpack and by _pure coincidence_ a bottle of wine. After rudely telling Johns she was going to take a leak much like her guy friends had always done to her Jack got the privacy to do exactly what Riddick told her to. He was right, what would she have done if she’d started to bleed and everyone could see? She would have been outted as a girl by her own body.

When she wandered back out of the bathroom in the cargo bay people were looking off into the horizon. Jack could feel her eyelid twitching in annoyance. There was another sun. Jack looked behind her confirming that there were two behind her and one in front of her. They talked amongst themselves and Jack let out a small amused snort as Paris mentioned a cocktail hour being ruined. They were all royally fucked, Jack could feel it. She looked towards the passenger bay longingly wanting to tell Riddick what was up but decided it best not to keep running in there.

In the end Shazza and Zeke ended up setting up some O2 rigs to help everyone breathe after Johns said they should still go looking for water. Jack tested out one of the rigs for her grinning and nodding when it felt like she got her first real breath since they landed. It distracted her from all of Imam’s god talk, she was starting to feel the constant need to roll her eyes at him every time he spoke. Still she didn’t intend to get used the extra air because she knew that when it was gone she was going to be running on one lung again so there was no reason to get comfortable. She decided to save it, and hung back as people decided if they were going or not.

“What about you boy? You coming with us or staying with Paris and Zeke?” Johns asked eying her. Jack got the feeling he knew she’d been around Riddick. After all Riddick hadn’t gotten out of his blindfold himself. Johns hadn’t said anything though. 

Jack looked at Shazza, Imam, and his acolytes before shaking her head saying, “I’m gonna stick around here, no reason to go running off if you’re not gonna find anything. There are three damn suns where do you think the water is hiding?”

Shazza frowned but shrugged, respecting _his_ decision, Imam looked like he wanted to preach some more, and Johns scowled lightly before walking over to Zeke handing him a gun saying, “If he gets loose use this.”

“Is he really that dangerous?” Shazza asked as the group started off.

Jack heard Johns answer, “Only around humans” before she wandered off. Zeke headed off into the distance to dig a grave, a request by Imam that they should bury the dead. Johns and Zeke took to it because if this was going to be shelter no one wanted to go tripping over the people who didn’t make it. Jack suspected that she was going to be a part of the cleanup detail that got to get the _fluids_ off of everything.

Paris set up shop on top of the cargo bay, and proceeded to ignore her from his lawn chair, which was just fine with her. Let the idiot get drunk. She wandered into the back of the passenger bay were Riddick was still bit and blindfold free. The blindfold was under his foot, but the bit was nowhere to be seen. Moving to sit on a box in front of him, carefully away from any part of him that could latch onto her, Jack said, “So you tried to bite him.”

Riddick watched her for a second taking in her apparent humor from the fact that he tried to bite Johns before grinning back saying, “I’m gonna take some fingers off him if he feels so comfortable putting them near my mouth Sister.”

Jack cocked her head to the side saying, “I had my hands on your mouth, I got to keep all ten. You just licked me, Brother.”

“Mmh, but you ungagged me,” Riddick said with a shrug, he couldn’t help but internally grin at her copying him.

“There are three suns…” Jack said with a sigh as she fidgeted with the O2 rig.

“Like the dark kid?” Riddick asked as he looked her over. He supposed if he didn’t have his senses he’d believe she was a boy, but it was hard to judge because he knew she was a girl. Short hair covered by a hat. She had a strong jawline for a girl, probably cause she wasn’t being looked after right, wasn’t eating enough for her cheeks to be softly filled out like they should be. The clothes she had gave her that long lanky look some boys got around the age she was trying for. The only thing that didn’t sit right was that she was obviously old enough to have breasts…

“It’s hot in this hellhole and it’s even harder to breath, figure dark would be cooler. That and it’d click on for the rest of them that sleep is good,” Jack said with a shrug back, squirming as she noticed him looking at her more intently.

“It hurt binding your chest up like that?” Riddick asked to show the kid why he was looking at her like he was.

“I don’t have a whole lot to bind… as this little vacation wears on yeah it’s gonna be a bitch…” Jack said looking down at herself. “You gotta be more convincing when you’re traveling though, you gotta be strapped into cryo, touching is required and if they figure out you lied they’ll keep you under and call the cops. Especially when you’re as young as me.”

Riddick sat with that for a second. Frowned. “Who were you with?” Certain things needed to be known, just in case, for later when they got off this rock.

Jack shrugged, “Some guy bought me a ticket, when I gave him some sob story. He was probably a slaver, but he’s dead now so it don’t matter.”

Alone. Good. Riddick nodded before cocking his head to the side. “Can I get a hit off that?” Riddick asked as he watched her. She hopped down from her perch instantly, before she jolted to a stop and glared at him. He grinned at her at that, she was learning. He chuckled before offering, “Favor for a favor, you give me a hit, I don’t trap you, no one owes.”

“Deal,” Jack said before bounding over to stand between his legs hefting the rig up a little higher so he could get at the mouth piece. She watched him take a deep breath in before dropping it and she backed up out of reach before asking, “How’d someone like _Johns_ get you?”

“Unforeseen circumstances,” Riddick grumbled as he looked at her pointedly. “Kinda like you.”

Jack backed up more at that, biting her lower lip a little. Leaning back against the box she’d been sitting on she asked, “So, this is bad…?”

Riddick shrugged a little, and wondered if it was too soon to get the kid to let him out. Maybe he could get her to when the group went to sleep, she didn’t seem like she’d be getting much sleep. “If it goes bad you could let me go.” Riddick offered, putting it out there. “Can’t get you to pay me back if you’re dead.”

“So you’re going to protect me?” Jack asked as she looked him over. He certainly looked like he could do the job. Like she figured out before, it was between him and Shazza and really the only reason Shazza was in the running was because she was standing here looking at Riddick still tied up.

“As long as it suits me,” Riddick told her honestly.

“That’s good with me.” Jack shrugged, she didn’t expect anything more and nothing less. There was this look that settled into his eyes as he looked at her, Jack liked the idea that it was respect, however when Riddick’s eyes jumped to somewhere behind her she ducked down behind the box.

Zeke glared at Riddick for a moment before he pulled one of the bodies furthest back towards the door in the front where he set up a sled to drag the dead off. Riddick watched him for a moment before looking down to where Jack was sitting on the floor her back against her former seat. Perceptive. He’d been listening, three suns, Johns was leading a scouting party for water. It gave him some time to sort her out in his head. He had to hand it to the kid too she was realistic, seemed to understand that when it came down to it he could just leave her behind.

He wanted to know more though, so he could decide what he should do about the feeling he got in his gut when he thought about leaving the pup behind. “Talk to me kid.” He heard Zeke curse and damn no good pilots to hell before he amended, “Quietly.”

ooo

By the time the scouting party came back Riddick learned that Jack was thirteen, her parents were dead, murdered, she came home to them strewn _around_ the living room, her uncle was a disgusting freak though she didn’t elaborate passed those exact words, and she was alone. Paris had booze, one bottle was in her backpack, she’d share later if he wanted, Shazza was nice, Zeke was okay, Imam wouldn’t shut up about god; his acolytes were annoying because she couldn’t understand them, and she thought that Johns was a dirty merc though the rest of them thought he was a cop.

“Sure he’s got that blue uniform but it’s obvious he isn’t a cop. I’ve met cops, he ain’t one,” Jack said before she stopped as she noticed Riddick wasn’t listening to her.

Riddick looked behind him before looking towards Jack saying, “They’re excited about something, go see what’s up.”

Jack nodded before she scampered off to see what was going on. When she stepped outside she noticed Johns eyed her but Paris was too busy asking questions and Shazza was hurrying off towards where Zeke had dug the graves calling for him. As she got closer Imam smiled widely at her saying, “We found a ship and a machine that makes water!”

She couldn’t help but smile just as wide at the thought of water, and desperately wanted to run back to tell Riddick, but she restrained herself once more. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that Johns probably didn’t intend to take Riddick with them… or maybe he did. He couldn’t get the bounty if he didn’t have Riddick’s body, and he was worth twice as much alive. She’d heard the stats.

Her thoughts were cut off though as Shazza ran back her eyes set murderously, and worried, and Jack suppressed a whimper as Shazza asked her and Paris, “Where’s Zeke there’s nothing but… There’s only blood in the hole!” Jack shook her head and Paris insisted that he thought Zeke was still digging and that he hadn’t heard anything.

Johns glared at Jack before running off into the back of the passenger bay. Jack followed after him faster than the others only to push passed Johns to get in his way when he walked over pointing a gun at Riddick. “He hasn’t moved I watched him the whole time!” Jack insisted glaring at Johns passed the barrel of the big gauge in her face.

“Mr. Johns! This is hardly acceptable!” Imam said outraged as he came up next pressing his hand on the gun to make Johns lower it.

She found Paris looking at her warily, Shazza seemed angry, and the boys were chattering amongst themselves looking at her critically. She just hoped they weren’t figuring it out, after all Imam could understand them.

“He hasn’t done anything…” Jack insisted again losing her fight as she felt Riddick’s boot nudge against the back of her own shoe.

“How do we know she didn’t let him go and then helped put him back after he killed Zeke?” Johns asked conspiratorially as he re-aimed his gun at Jack.

“Jack did he trick you, is that what happened?” Shazza asked taking a step forward.

“No I swear I sat in the back of the bay out of the sun and he didn’t move, not once!” Jack insisted backing up more. After all Paris had never gotten down from his perch, and now the only person who could dispute that was missing.

“Something else must have gotten Zeke, been here the whole time,” Riddick said as he hooked his leg around Jack’s shuffling her back, though she was very reluctant to let there be nothing between him and the gun. “Sure he isn’t in the hole with all the bodies he dragged out of here?”

“There’s nothing in the hole!” Shazza insisted stepping closer to stand by Johns, nudging Imam out of the way. “Where is Zeke?”

“What do you think I did with Zeke and all those bodies? Sure as fuck didn’t eat them to make them go away, I would’ve left him in the hole under the others. Sure as hell wouldn’t have let the boy tie me back up after I killed someone.” Riddick said nodding at Jack who he’d moved to stand on the other side of him. Best to let everyone but him think Jack was a boy. He’d keep reaffirming it in their minds.

“He has a point, why would he do that?” Paris said looking around at the others from his spot in the back.

“To fuck with us,” Johns said even as he lowered his gun.

“They aren’t in the hole,” Shazza insisted.

“Look deeper,” Riddick said simply.

Johns huffed before he stormed out of bay causing everyone to follow him, but Riddick who couldn’t, and Jack who he kicked lightly in the leg saying lowly in case anyone was still in hearing distance, “Don’t you fucking go down that hole Jack, don’t even suggest it.”

Jack frowned, wanted to object but didn’t. “I won’t go down the hole Riddick,” Jack repeated back to show she heard him and understood.

Instead Shazza went down.

It didn’t take long until they were pulling her out of what looked like a termite mound a couple feet over. She was yelling about how Zeke was dead and that there were monsters down there. Jack was suddenly grateful that Riddick told her not to offer to go down there, especially when he wouldn’t be around to pull her out. It was pretty much then they decided they had to get out of there pronto. There was a ship, but they didn’t know how many cells they’d need, or if they’d even adapt. They were lucky they even had the cells that had been used to power the passenger bay.

“We’ll take one, and see what we can do, we’ll run a check and then we’ll know how many we need,” Johns said as they stood in front of the wall the power cells were in. “No reason to lug them all if we don’t know if they’re gonna work.”

“What about Riddick?” Jack asked looking over to where she could still see him before looking around at the others.

“What about him?” Johns sneered. Everyone else had a mix of emotions on their face, didn’t know what to say or do.

Jack faltered before insisting, “We can’t just fucking leave him here Johns!” When Johns looked like he was perfectly capable of doing just that she looked to the only person she could think would help. Imam. “But… Imam tell him! We can’t just leave the guy here to die! Doesn’t God preach about mercy or some shit? Second chances.” When Paris found he wasn’t going to be called on he mumbled something about bringing some of his stash along, Shazza found it so "important" she joined him

Imam frowned, seemingly at being left alone in this, before saying, “The boy does have a point. It would be wrong to just leave a man to die. Even that man.”

“Fine, fucking fine,” Johns grumbled glaring at Jack and Imam before shoving passed them and over to Riddick saying, “You’ll work without weapons, without shivs, you do what I say, when I say it.”

“Why? So you can take me back to some asshole of a cell?” Riddick asked before glaring at Jack when he noticed that she wanted to but in.

“Truth is Riddick, I’m tired of chasing you.” Johns said pulling out the key for the cuffs and his goggles.

“So you’re just going to let me go?” Riddick asked cocking his head to the side. He could see Jack looking at him like he was insane, the holy man seemed to think he was too, but he couldn’t have Johns doing this all half assed and then wanna put him back under when they got to the settlement. If he had to work for something he didn’t want to do, he wouldn’t go back on it.

“I’m thinking you could’ve died in the crash,” Johns said with an ill-humored smirk. _If only_ he was thinking. He’d still get half the reward for producing his corpse.

“My recommendation, do me.” Riddick grunted. Only Jack and Imam to both yelled, though Imam yelled because Jack was cursing a blue streak at him.

“Fuck this, kid you want him to come with us so bad, here!” Johns said getting frustrated and shoving the key and the goggles at Jack. “When he’s tearing into you first you’ll know whose fault it is!” He paused for only a second demanding, “And Riddick grab one of those damn cells and move it!”

With that Johns left, and Imam followed after him trying to be reassuring, leaving Riddick grinning at Jack. “There baby, now get over here and let me out of this,” Riddick purred once they were gone. His arms were starting to get fucking sore pulled out behind his back like this.

“You did that… so he’d give me the key?” Jack asked even as she scampered over and quickly uncuffed one of his hands. Before she could get at the other though she found Riddick grabbing her and pulling her so she was sitting on his lap.

“Can’t give him these, or he’d be able to put me back in them,” Riddick said nuzzling her hair, getting a good feel of her by hugging her close, and a better smell. Fuck she smelt good. Why couldn’t she be older? He took the key from her and undid the other cuff, after that he threw the key deeper into the room. Then he took his goggles back, or at least he tried, because Jack didn’t give them up.

“Why are your eyes like that?” Jack asked before he could cover them up.

“So I can see who’s sneaking up on me in the dark,” Riddick offered leaning down real close to her to let her get her fill since he got his fill of her… for now.

“Surgery?” Jack asked as she looked his eyes over.

“Sure kid, paid twenty menthol KOOLS to a vet in Butchers Bay to get it done,” Riddick huffed rolling his eyes at her.

“Fine, don’t tell me,” Jack huffed back as she let him have his goggles. After a moment more she started to squirm. “You gonna let me down?”

“For now,” Riddick said helping her off his lap once his goggles were in place before he rolled his shoulders walking over to the power cells.


	3. The Beginning of the End

“Paris P. Olgilvie. Antiquities dealer, entrepreneur.”

“Richard B. Riddick. Escaped convict. Murderer.”

Jack rolled her eyes as she kept walking while they had their little meet and greet. Personally she thought they should have grabbed as many cells as they could and brought them. None of this going back and forth shit. It was hot, and this wasn’t some pleasure walk causing her to take a hit off the O2 rig. Still she’d go back to get the power cells because no doubt Riddick was going to have to drag them back himself, and she wasn’t going to stay in one place while he went to another. He couldn’t take care of her if he wasn’t there. She wished everyone would stop eying them, though, so she could ask Riddick if he needed a hit. No one else was going to share with him after all.

Paris ran off after Riddick downed his booze to be closer to the bulk of the group and Riddick settled into step beside her, even though Shazza kept looking over her shoulder at them. She clearly didn’t approve. Jack didn’t care though and just grinned up at him saying as she shifted her backpack around, “You know if you’d be nicer, they wouldn’t look at you like you’re the devil.”

“I’m nice to you, and that’s taxing enough,” Riddick hummed as he watched Johns follow Shazza’s gaze; clearly he didn’t approve either. They were making him drag the sled with the power cell and a bunch of other shit on it, but they still wouldn’t give him the kids company.

“And I’m racking up debt every time you’re too nice, kinda ruins it Riddick,” Jack pointed out as she shot a dirty look at Johns. Riddick just chuckled and they walked most of the way in silence. They were a little more than half way when Jack reluctantly left his side when Shazza called her over.

“Walk with the other boys,” Johns insisted shoving Jack forward towards the robe clad boys.

ooo

When they got to the settlement Imam, the oldest boy, and Paris instantly ran over to the H2O machine while Johns and Shazza took the cell to the skiff. Meanwhile the two younger boys went to explore the buildings, and Riddick shoved the sled into a nearby building for cover before he went off to explore himself, of course with Jack hot on his tail. Everyone was so preoccupied with water and getting out of here that no one who cared was watching them.

“You want another hit?” Jack asked as she bounded up next to him after putting her bag with the sled.

“How much is left?” Riddick asked as they walked towards the bigger buildings. He noticed a pair of glasses glinting partially under the packed earth, but didn’t move for them though, and kept his attention on the kid.

“A little more than half,” Jack said checking the gauge to be sure, and showing it to Riddick.

“Yeah, come ‘ere,” Riddick said waving her over as he kneeled down. He watched her as he took a deep breath. He probably wasn’t feeling it as much as the kid, but she wasn’t showing it much either. She was keeping her eyes open for him her wide orbs scanning the area around them. When he stood back up to full height she zoned in on him though. He had to wonder what she’d be doing if she’d never got the chance to really talk to him. 

Riddick looked off towards where one of the boys was crawling into a hole in the wall of the building in front of them, the one where Jack was trying to get a good look in the window. He decided she’d probably be doing something like that. Shrugging he pulled down the tarp that seemed to be covering something, all he found though was the words CORING ROOM.

“Must have been ge…geologists, right?” Jack said looking up at him from her new spot at his side. 

He hummed nodding but they both turned, him dropping the tarp to the ground as Johns walked up behind them saying, “Come on you’re missin’ the party!” Apparently a whistle had to be thrown in there for good measure. 

When he walked off Jack and Riddick wandered after him Jack asking, “Hey Riddick… where do you think everyone went? The people who set this place up?”

Riddick took a moment to look at her before saying, “Same place Zeke did.” No reason to lie about it. They might as well all know exactly what was at stake here or guards would go down.

ooo

At least there was water now. Though everyone was starting to figure out the same thing they did. The settlers had been geologists, and they left a lot of stuff for people who supposedly left willingly. So Riddick oh-so politely pointed out, “Come on, these people didn’t leave. Whatever got Zeke got them. You don’t really think they left with their clothes on the hooks… their photos on the shelves?”

“You don’t know, maybe they had weight limits,” Shazza insisted glaring at the man.

“I know you don’t prep your emergency ship unless there’s a fucking emergency,” Riddick offered back as he watched the group.

“He’s fucking right,” Jack insisted repositioning her hat as she tore her mouth away from the glass for the first time since she entered the room.

“Watch your mouth,” Johns growled at her, earning himself a glare as the room went quiet. Jack tensed as Johns glared back at her like he was trying to figure something out. At least they were all quiet until Imam rushed in.

“Has anyone seen the little one? Ali?!” Imam asked looking around at everyone.

“Has anyone checked the coring room?” Riddick asked nonchalantly as he walked further into the room and snagged a glass downing it in a couple of gulps. When everyone put down their glasses and went to rush and check Riddick grabbed Jack’s shoulder putting his cup down suddenly. Jerking her back in front of him Riddick growled at her, “Don’t draw attention to yourself like that anymore. You might be good, but you’re still a girl and it can click for any of them anytime.”

“Sorry Riddick…” Jack mumbled looking down.

Riddick sighed as he turned her around and started to lead them from the room her in front of him with his hand at the back of her neck. “Once we’re off this shithole it won’t matter what your gender is. Until then keep under their radar.” It be easier for everyone if she just stayed a guy for right now. If she was a guy his animal would stay in check to keep her safe, when the façade dropped though Riddick got the feeling his beast would have one word on its mind. _Mine._

ooo

Riddick leaned against a nearby wall as the bulk of the group started to put provisions in the skiff. They needed to go back for four more cells according to Johns, but they were waiting for Shazza to fix the sandcat, in the meantime Paris, Imam, and his remaining boys were stocking the skiff with and all water and dried food they could find, and Johns was no doubt off getting his high somewhere out of sight. Jack had made herself scarce, promising not to go near the coring room or any of the larger buildings, after she saw what happened to the boy, it looked like it scared the shit out of her. Riddick wasn’t entirely sure they were safe just because there were three suns circling the planet, but who would he really tell this too? Maybe the kid to warn her a bit, but it wouldn’t make anything better, and it was just a feeling.

He heard Jack before he smelt her, and was more than prepared for when she grabbed onto his arm. When he looked down, though, he didn’t particularly like the look she was giving him, it was like she’d read his mind and knew they were probably going to be humped before they got out of here. The look was scared and pleading, and he didn’t say anything as he let her lead him around the corner and towards one of the other buildings. He noted that she’d listened and that the building wasn’t too large, made his animal proud she could listen to him. When they were inside he found Jack letting go of his hand and scurrying over to a model of what he could only assume was the solar system they were in. When Jack finally spoke she pointed to one of the planets saying, “I think this is us, and there’s an eclipse… Riddick it gets dark here…”

Moving over he ignored the model for a moment pulling Jack to him. She couldn’t get all buggy, or she’d freak everyone else out. Her arms wound around him as he took off her hat running his fingers through her hair as he looked at the model. The planet was completely dark. His eyes drifted over to the dial that must have kept track of the cycles. Twenty-two years. Squeezing an arm around her in a return hug he replaced her hat saying, “Keep it to yourself kid. If it goes dark, just stay close.”

“But those things…” Jack whimpered as Riddick started to let her go. He stopped though and let her hold onto him for a moment as he grumbled soothing things to her, when she didn’t feel like the world was going to end that second she took a deep breath and let go of him first showing she was ready to go. He rubbed her shoulder before nudging her to leave ahead of him. She waited at the door while he turned his attention fully to the model and moved it this way and that. 

When a few little nudges didn’t put the planet back in any kind of light Riddick knew it wouldn’t end in a few hours, or even a few days. Looking from the model to Jack Riddick tried to figure out what to do. His beast had a simple answer. Keep the pup safe. She’d be like a target though bleeding like she was. Moving the model around out of the eclipse completely in case anyone walked in there Riddick walked out of the building leading Jack back to the others a hand on her shoulder.

When they emerged out to where they were loading the ship though everyone was looking of into the horizon where they could all see a translucent ring and the beginning of a planet rising. Riddick couldn’t help but sigh finding out seconds before something happened was useless, Jack might as well have never found the model. Jack swallowed a whimper as Shazza said, “We gotta move that sandcat’s solar!”

ooo

Jack stared in horror as those things carried Shazza off into the darkening sky. The ringed planet was already in-between their planet and the sun only the slimmest beams of light poking out the side. Her eyes flew back down to Riddick trying to erase the image of Shazza being torn in two from her mind’s eye. Riddick just stood up and brushed his hands off as Paris blathered on about getting inside to close the door while Johns shook his head heading into the cargo bay.

They had just gotten all the cells onto the skiff as it started to get dark, but before they could even think of driving off those things were busting out of the mountains off in the distance sending them all running for cover. Shazza and Riddick had been behind, but Shazza didn’t stay down…

When Riddick got close enough Paris finally let go of Jack, from when he stopped her from running out of the cargo bay, and rushed over to the door ready to shut it.

“Why didn’t she just stay down?” Jack whined as Riddick pushed her into the cargo bay ahead of him, out of the way from the door. She watched from behind the wall as he looked out into the darkness at what only he could see, before he turned and walked in, helping Paris slam the door shut. Paris scurried off passed her once the door was closed tight, while Riddick waved her on to follow him. When they found the group someone had found two flashlights and Paris was huddled against the wall with a lighter.

Imam and the boys leaned into the walls trying to listen closer to the loud screeching noises the creatures were making. Jack went to listen too only to have Riddick pull her back from the wall she looked up at him only to catch Johns looking at them. That is until the screeching started coming from further in the cargo bay startling everyone, and distracting Johns.

“Maybe someone should go look…” John mumbled

“You got the big gauge,” Riddick said lightly pushing Jack over towards the two boys and Imam.

“I’d rather piss glass,” Johns insisted, “Why don’t you go fucking check?”

“We gotta get out of here!” Paris panicked making Imam and Johns grab for him pressing him to the wall insisting they couldn’t go outside either. Jack desperately wanted to move back over to Riddick, but a slight shake of his head kept her at bay.

Jack’s eyes were dragged over to Imam as he pried open a hatch calling for everyone to hurry into a little alcove. Jack found herself beside Riddick as they looked around; the alcove seemed slightly more promising though very small. Following his hand movement to stay still Jack watched as he walked over next to Paris grabbing something from the ground. Her attention was pulled away though, her heart jumping up into her throat as a spear like claw thunked through the metal door causing Imam to yell and run from where he was leaning. Everyone attention was pulled to Riddick though as he lit a hand torch with Paris’ lighter, and started to cut through the wall into a different part of the cargo bay.

Once he was done he moved out of the way letting Johns through first with his gun before he grabbed the back of her shirt shoving her through the opening next in front of him. He was quickly getting sick of this shitty game of hide and seek with monsters. Worse Johns kept looking at Jack now. Paris was way too twitchy and loud and Imam didn’t seem like a promising surrogate protector with his own brood to look after. Johns would just have to be suspicious maybe he’d catch on, maybe he wouldn’t but Riddick wasn’t going to trust Jack with anyone else she would have to be his problem alone.

“Through here should be a closed off section,” Johns said putting a finger to the wall.

“How do you know?” Paris asked looking at Johns, moving out of Riddick’s way as he moved over to the wall keeping a hold of Jack’s sleeve, dragging her with him.

“Red up on the layout because of the convict,” Johns offered watching Riddick shove Jack up against the wall just far enough away that she wouldn’t be in danger of getting burnt. Jack squirmed uncomfortably as Johns looked at her, but she tensed her muscles to cut it out before looking pointedly away from him. She noticed one of Imam’s boys walking down the hall, but when she moved a little Riddick growled at her in warning.

“But…” Jack breathed looking around for someone to get the other kid back. The older one caught her eye and she motioned her head towards the hall. He must have seen his brother because he went after him. The other adults were too preoccupied with Riddick getting them to safety through the wall. Except Johns who was watching her like a hawk. All she could think was, _Please believe I’m a boy, please keep thinking I’m a boy._

Loud screeching, obviously from more than one beast, sent Imam to the mouth of the hallway the boys names on his lips, before calling for Johns who reluctantly followed with Paris hot on his tail to see what was happening. “Don’t you move Jack,” Riddick growled at her turning his head just enough to catch a look at her and see her nod. “You’re racking up debt, you better live to pay it.”

“I know… but John-” Jack cut herself off as shots were fired and Imam wailed.

Seemed he didn’t have any acolytes left. Paris, his voice for some reason set on high muttered something about the light hurting “them”. Riddick just kept cutting, keeping his eye on Jack, because honestly he was ten seconds from making that kid hold onto one of his belt loops to make sure she didn’t wander off and get eaten. The others he could give a shit less about, but if the girl died it would bother him longer than it had any right to.


	4. The Plan

No one had come up with a solid plan, and they’d been in there for over an hour. Paris passed out first; the holy man went next, passed out while he was praying, leaving Riddick, Jack, and Johns awake. Jack sat on the floor against the stored ottoman that Riddick was sitting on. She leaned against his leg tiredly, the loss of momentum hitting her harder than the two men staring each other down.

“So what’s up with the boy Riddick?” Johns asked nodding towards Jack, who glared at him.

Riddick shrugged leaning against the dresser behind him. “He followed me home boss, can’t I keep ‘em?” Riddick joked dryly, leaning up slightly to pat Jack on the head before sitting back again.

“Glad you still have a sense of humor at a time like this,” Johns muttered rubbing his cheek, shifting around.

“You know we can’t just sit here,” Riddick pointed out, “Ain’t no one coming to collect the dead until the sun goes up. If we live you know you won’t get your bounty if the government drops down and takes us in.”

“So what do you suggest?” Johns asked leaning back against the boxes behind him.

“Rest up, get all the light we can, and book it for the skiff,” Riddick said simply. 

“We both know better than to think it’ll be that easy, especially if we both make it.” Johns said raising an eyebrow at the killer. He had no one to put a show on for, especially with the boy fawning all over Riddick.

“You said you’d let him go,” Jack insisted wrapping her arm around Riddick’s leg like it’d keep him with her. 

“I lied,” Johns sneered at the kid.

Riddick shrugged when he caught Jack looking back at him. After a second he said, “I figured you were lying about letting me go, but be honest Johns you gotta be sick of chasing me all over the verse.”

“Yeah, but be honest Riddick, why you taking us with you? I don’t pretend to be able to get back to the skiff alive with a fucking flashlight,” Johns said watching Riddick, keeping the conversation up to stay awake.

Truthfully he needed other smells to keep the winged beasts off of Jack. Bigger meals might keep them off the girl till the end. That and having more sacrifices made better odds. “Someone’s gotta be eaten first, and more hands mean more light to be carried.” Riddick explained frowning as Jack crawled up onto his lap. It was obvious she was more than half asleep, and he knew he should dump her on her ass back at his feet, but he just let her sit there leaning into him.

“What the shit is up with that?” Johns asked looking at the kid pretty much knocked out on a murderer’s lap.

“Fuck if I know,” Riddick grumbled watching the kid behind his goggles. He didn’t have to put on a show of glaring at her when no one could see exactly what his eyes were up to.

“Going soft?” Johns asked with a dirty grin. Kids were the reason he got Riddick on the Hunter-Gratzner.

“Fuck you Johns,” Riddick said shifting Jack around so she wasn’t as perilously balanced on his lap, and leaned up against him more solidly.

“Don’t tell me you see yourself in the runt?” Johns continued to pry.

“Nah, by Jack’s age I was nicely tucked away in a facility that taught _troubled youth_ how to be in the military,” Riddick said with a shrug. He sure as fuck wouldn’t be sleeping in a killers lap. Though, he’d never quite understood why you would show a teenager who beat a guy with a pipe how to become an efficient killing machine, but their error was his gain.

“So what’s the plan?” Johns asked tilting his head back.

“Rest, load up on light, run for it. I’ll lead the way; anyone who lives gets a seat. We’ll fight out our feud if we live to see someone pick us up before the life support on the ship goes out… or you know we starve, whichever comes first.” Riddick laid out the plan (again) watching Jack sleep against him. “We’ll run a straight line from here to there, no stopping, if they can’t keep up they stay behind in the dark. We’ll keep the power-cells on sled between the four adults.”

“The boy gets a free ride?” Johns asked closing his eyes.

“Jack’s got a debt to pay,” Riddick said, his tone final. “I’ll take responsibility for the kid.”

ooo

By the time Johns was completely out was about the time Jack suddenly woke up, with that obvious jerk of someone who hadn’t meant to fall asleep. She had the obvious start of someone who also didn’t remember exactly where they fell asleep. After a second she tensed against him, wouldn’t look up, wouldn’t talk. Giving her a break he said, “You owe me kid.”

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep…” Jack insisted softly leaning up to take stock of herself. She was sitting sideways on his lap, Riddick had an arm around her, and she still felt heavy and tired.

“Mean to sit on my lap?” Riddick asked an arm lazily draped around her waist as the other had pushed his goggles up on his head to take a good look at her.

“I don’t remember that…” Jack breathed finally looking up at him, her eyes catching his immediately in the glow of the one of the flashlights. She really didn’t remember moving from the floor against his leg to his lap. Jack could remember leaning against his leg listening to him and Johns bicker about something that wasn’t completely clear anymore. She’d just been so tired…

“There’s a plan now,” Riddick moved on, seeing no reason to explore her choice in sleeping spaces right this second.

“You’re going to leave me here?” Jack whispered her one question about the plan leaning against Riddick more.

“No, we’re gonna get all the light we have and get to the skiff, you too,” Riddick explained simply. “Stay close to me, and stay in the light. Don’t say anything about staying behind.”

Frowning at the dark corner of the nook they were in Jack didn’t say anything else, trying to think. The light hurt the creatures, but she was bleeding, and she got the feeling she might be in more trouble than the others because of it. The others didn’t know, but she’d be putting them in danger. Jack really wanted to live though. She did not run away just to lie down and die on this heap.

“Get some more rest kid,” Riddick told her, his voice low and calm. “There will be no stopping.”

Jack closed her eyes obediently but she didn’t know if she could sleep. She stayed leaning against him, and tried to clear her mind, but she couldn’t. There were flying monsters out there that wanted to eat them and their defense against them was two flashlights and a cutting torch. She didn’t see how this could work, and on top of that the others had to keep believing she was a boy. This wasn’t going to work. On top of this, now that they weren’t all go-go-go her stomach was starting to cramp up.

“What did I tell you?” Riddick asked as he pushed his goggles back down. Jack kept fidgeting, her fingers picking at the hem of her shirt.

“Rest.”

“Then do it.”

ooo

“There’s the two flashlights, the torch, a couple of bottles of booze that we can burn, and I have some flares,” Johns said looking at the pile of lighting they’d managed to find. It wasn’t a lot, and he wasn’t so sure it’d keep the monsters at bay, but there wasn’t a whole lot to be done. Riddick had been right; they couldn’t just sit here and wait to be eaten or worse, wait to live and have the bounty snatched right out from under him. It was one thing to let Riddick go, it was another for someone else to run off with him.

“Is this going to be enough?” Paris asked even as he rigged up the bottles with a little rope so they could burn them if they needed too.

“It’s going to have to be,” Johns shrugged. “There’s another sled around here for luggage, we’ll go out get the cells off the sandcat and we’ll go. We won’t stop, Riddick will lead the way, we’ll be there before we know it, and light up the skiff while we get ready. Fool proof.”

Riddick looked at the group, Jack was sitting back on the floor at his feet idly running her fingers along the seams in one of his boots, Johns was skeptical about the whole deal but he was playing leader man all the same, Imam looked like he’d slipped into mourning but the holy man would probably snap out of it once they were in immediate danger again if not he’d probably be the first to go, and Paris was at least doing something useful and being generally less twitchy. As long as no one was foolish enough to step away from the sled and the light they all had a fair chance to make it. There was only one problem he foresaw, and that was the canyon they came through to get here. Shazza had blocked the path back. They’d been trying to get here so fast; they knocked down one of the skeletons. It’d have to be dealt with to get back. That would mean pausing in their trek, taking time where he couldn’t have Jack practically under him to keep her safe.

“Finished!” Paris said finishing up the last of the five bottles.

“Gr-“ Johns paused as a low noise started. Not the screeching of monsters that flared up now and then but a patter soft after then harder.

“It’s raining…” Jack breathed looking sadly up at Riddick. She was trying to find some way to be useful, but she couldn’t think of anything. There was nothing she could bring to the table. She wasn’t strong, she couldn’t see in the dark, and she didn’t have any extra light for them…

“Doesn’t change anything, the rain will make it harder going, but it might cover our sent, make us harder to find,” Riddick said as he nudged the kid to get up before standing himself. Looking to Jack from behind his goggles as everyone else stood too Riddick was silently glad her backpack was already in the skiff holding her seat, otherwise he’d have to tell her to leave it behind. There were probably important things in the bag though.

“Let’s get one of the sleds out of the back and get packing,” Johns said motioning for the group to follow after him.

“Shazza and Zeke were settlers… that means they did whatever work needed done on a planet right? On the outer planets, or new ones?” Jack asked quietly after everyone walked passed them

“Mmhmm,” Riddick grunted looking towards her.

“You think they were miners too?” Jack asked hopefully.

Riddick stopped and looked at the kid for a moment before it clicked. If the couple had been miners they might have lights. “Where’d they get the O2 rigs?” Riddick asked grinning at her. Just barely holding back, if she were a bit older he’d give her a proper kiss for being so smart.

“What is the hold up? This whole suicide mission was your idea?” John asked as he pushed his way back to the two who were just starting to look increasingly happy at each other.

“Shazza and Zeke might have been miners,” Jack announced, pride at realizing this rolling off her in waves. “They might have some lighting in their stuff.” Jack barely waited before she scurried over to where Jack had seen Shazza get the kits for the rigs. This got the attention of Paris and Imam who quickly came over all of them searching through the boxes near the one Shazza had opened earlier.

Jack made a happy noise as she pulled a couple of light rigs. They looked like a large belt with four lights attached to them. Two, certainly not enough for everyone, but more light was more light. She handed them over to Paris who moved off to set them with their other stash about the time John yelled, “Jackpot!”

He came up with two lanterns pulling them out one at a time and handing them off to Riddick and Paris. “We can tie these to the sled on top of the cells. Set them on high.”

With things looking better, they sorted out the light: a flashlight going to Imam and Paris each, the rigs going to Riddick and Johns, while Jack was just expected to keep up, no light but essentially being given a free ride to safety as she wasn’t even expected to help pull much. The torch and booze were for “just in case” and safely stored in a bag to keep them together on the sled. Once everything was turned on full blast they headed out with the sled to get the cells and start for the settlement.


	5. Getting Through Different

It was still raining and the sled seemed even heavier than it should be in the wet sand. The rain hadn’t stopped at all as they tried to make it to the settlement. Right now it was just a lot of dead open space and a lot of Johns cursing, and occasionally Jack muttering curses under her breath behind him. She’d used up her O2 rig to keep up with the almost dead sprint they’d started at to get as far as possible as fast as possible in the beginning, trying to make it to better cover. Only cover was still a ways off…

Riddick didn’t like that Jack was behind him where he couldn’t see her at all time, but it was easier to lead in front of the sled pulling with one of the ropes they’d brought along. It stopped Johns from subconsciously trying to lead them to where he thought the settlement was; which was far too off to the right. Johns was on one side with Paris and then Jack was on the other with Imam, and they were all soaked through to the bone. He had thoroughly threatened her while they loaded the sled about stepping away from it and so far he hadn’t seen her stray. Then again with no light to call her own she should know better anyway if she wanted to live. He didn’t want her to get any heroic ideas if something happened and someone or something fell away from the sled.

_“If you take one step away from the sled I will keep you in the dark for a week after this,” Riddick growled lowly to her as the others tied the cells down with the lanterns on top of them. “If you step away from the sled and manage to live you will not like me again for a very long time.”_

He’d said each word slow and distinct, and she looked as though she’d taken him seriously.

The one thing that was truly starting to bother him, though, was the closer to the canyon they got the more of the creatures he could hear even over the rain, though the rain seemed to be covering the direction up from the rest, or they were just too scared to pinpoint them. It would be one thing if the group was running straight through, and it was dry, but they had to stop and things were slow going since they had to drag the sled through mud. He didn’t veer off though. If he did he’d have to explain why it was taking so long to get to a settlement that wasn’t really that far off, they might not notice at first but eventually, at very least, Johns would, and he wasn’t sure he wanted Johns to catch on to Jack’s gender until they were off world, if at all. If he and Jack could get away from Johns before it became important then he’d never know, but he suspected they wouldn’t be rescued instantly and the first time Jack had to go to the bathroom she’d be outed unless they could get everyone to close their eyes the entire time.

“We’re coming up on the canyon we’re going to have to stop to clear a path,” Riddick said throwing a look over his should first at Johns to make sure he understood, which he seemed to because he damned Shazza even though the woman was already dead, and then at Jack to check on her. She flashed him a grin even though she was soaking wet, her clothes sticking to her, and her hat of little help now, so he looked back in front of them and kept going. She’d dry off eventually, at least she could still give that cocky grin even though she was pretty much only running on one lung now.

Until one of the flairs fell off the sled… Jack jerked to a stop causing a chain reaction stopping everyone else; she looked as though she was going to go for it but stopped immediately and looked at Riddick gripping onto one of the handles of the sled to show she was staying put. He nodded at her, looked to see if anyone else wanted to chance diving for it, but no one did, not even Imam with his flashlight being right there. Fear like that could keep them alive.

“Leave it, keep moving,” Riddick said watching as Imam moved the bag further onto the sled before he started them moving again. Time dragged as they moved forward, they came through the beginning of the canyon their lights bouncing off the rock the creatures they were disturbing crying louder, but then suddenly they were at the bones, and things sped up. Riddick pulled off the light rig he was wearing and shoved it onto Jack as they started digging at the bones trying to pull them away to make a big enough gap as the creatures screeched and darted as close as they could to the light before it hurt and they dove away.

Paris fidgeted every time one got too close, and when one crashed through the bones throwing Johns and Riddick back with a wet thud, Paris freaked dropping his flashlight, yelling, Imam shouted out, and-

Riddick jolted pushing debris away from him faster finding Jack right in arms reach, the light from the rig stinging his eyes as he pulled her closer to make sure she was okay. She was on her ass for some reason with Paris’ flashlight, and like him she was covered in mud, a cut touched her cheek were something must have cut into her, but it’s better than what he’d originally pictured when she hadn’t screamed. She’d survive a little cut, after all she made it through a crash landing. A quick look around specifically in the direction Jack was pointing the flashlight told him who was really gone. Paris. He didn’t know what he missed but two of the creatures were trying to drag the body in two different directions to get out of the light blood was dripping even in the rain, there was no screaming but body parts were already missing. They both sort of succeeded in tearing the body in their direction just before he grabbed Jack’s hand jerking the light away from the site. The kid had seen enough. She didn’t need to see how far entrails could stretch nor the scavengers trying to run off with the insides.

Jack whimpered quietly as Riddick and Johns crawled to their feet to continue getting the bones out of the way, easier now that most were scattered around them. Imam helped her up, juggling his own flashlight, brushing her off the best he could, frowning deeply as he did so.

“Come on let’s go!” Johns yelled as he and Riddick started dragging the sled without them. Imam and Jack quickly clambered after them Jack shoved the flashlight into the bag facing up and used both her hands to push from the back, Imam following her lead. Jack knew Riddick wouldn’t want her in back but a member of their group was just gone now. It had been so fast it was like he was never there.

Jack tried not to think about it, just willed them to get to the settlement faster. The creatures were swooping passed them and Jack winced each and every time one of them screeched. She only jolted to a stop when a glob of _something_ hit her cheek the screeching of the creatures getting louder. Imam bumped her as he moved passed.

“Keep moving child!” Imam called out even after he noticed the creatures attacking each other above them in the rain.

“Jack move!” Riddick yelled back at her even though he kept helping Johns pull the sled. When a creature, dead as it was, dropped next to Jack making her jolt Riddick nearly roared, “Jack move your ass!” That time got her back to him, they locked eyes and she rubbed her cheek as ran back up to the sled returning to pushing beside Imam. In some way he was grateful that he’d put the light rig on Jack, that light had been the only thing keeping a monster from picking her up when she’d stopped. Her life was in his hands and he wanted to keep it; if he had to halt their trek to drag the kid up to the front of the sled where she belonged so be it. It had been a damn long time since he’d been responsible for someone else’s life. He knew exactly when he became responsible for Jack’s life, but he wasn’t exactly sure when it started to matter, when just dropping the responsibility for her life had stopped being an option. He’d dropped the lives of each and every person on his squad, right onto the end of a shiv, but dropping Jack wouldn’t be so easy.

While they ran Riddick kept throwing glances over his shoulder to see Jack keeping her eyes on him as the creatures fought each other, bodies crashing down around them. The settlement was just up the hill and then they’d be home free. The kid just had to make it a little farther. A couple of minutes and he’d have her strapped down in a well lit skiff…

But Jack didn’t know if she could make it that far. Her legs hurt, her veins seemed to be pumping battery acid, and it pretty much tasted like she was breathing copper. She kept her eyes on Riddick though, kept her feet moving because she was not going to die on this rock, after all this shit. Every time he looked back and she got to see his eyes it was like a reward for keeping up. The sudden incline to the settlement was hell though. Jack’s foot slid out from under her and she was lucky, in a way, that the sled was moving or she would have banged her head right on it. She scrambled to get back up because Imam was looking back as he tried to keep going and Riddick looked like he was ready to let go of the sled which likely meant that they’d have to start all over again at the bottom of the hill. She didn’t want to be the reason people got eaten. She made it to her feet before anyone really went after her; she noticed Johns hadn’t even spared her a glance. Now her foot hurt, and her other knee was bleeding, but she was on her feet and rushed the rest of the way up the hill after them, cringing as those things screamed as one or two whirled by, but she didn’t stop, running up to the side of the sled that was Riddick’s.

Imam moved to the other side picking up his flashlight and aimed it forward the light hitting a building. They were that close.

Riddick looked back at Jack again as she started to limp, but even Johns slowed down beside him, now that they were at the compound. He nodded her forward as they headed through the walkway that led to the skiff. A couple minutes and they’d be off this rock. Jack moved a little quicker settling into step beside Riddick, longing to lean into him, to finally relax again. To really relax and not have things that wanted to eat her lingering just outside of their little ring of light.

They lost Paris on the way, but other than that they made it. One on the entire run wasn’t… that bad all things considered, they’d lost more during less dangerous part of this experience. Jack looked over at Imam with a light frown. His entire party survived the crash, but he was the only one who made it in the end. It was proof that God was sucky, even to those who liked him. Imam looked like he’d aged since she’d first seen him when the ship crashed. Riddick and Johns though… they hadn’t changed a bit. Johns probably still intended to take Riddick in, and Riddick… was still Riddick. He looked exactly the same; she was sure this little stint hadn’t phased him in the least. It was probably like a vigorous workout for him. This time when he looked down at her Jack knew exactly what he was thinking. Word for word Jack figured his thoughts were probably I. Own. Your. Ass.

Actually his singular thought was _Mine_ , but the sentiment was pretty much the same.

“Let’s get the fuck off this rock, I need a hit and some booze,” Johns muttered as the skiff finally came into site.

Riddick and Jack figured it out then, Johns had dropped his act. It was how he changed. Imam just thought the man was changed for the worse. Riddick knew he was different; something in him had bonded to the girl. Jack was still growing though, and Riddick figured that she probably faired the best out of everyone. The only one who would come out better for it. This in the long run would make her stronger. Even if it didn’t her life was still his, he’d make sure she got stronger.


	6. Nothing to do but Wait

Riddick made sure Jack was sitting in the skiff, her light rig abandoned on the sled with the rest of the lights before he helped the other two men get the cells in. When they were done and Johns was getting everything hooked up, and Imam was deflated into a seat on the other side of the cabin Riddick moved next to Jack sitting with her as he put his goggles back on. Instantly he checked her cheek rubbing some muck away to get at the cut there. It looked okay, it wasn’t deep. He was more concerned that her breathing was ragged and she was leaning into his hand her eyes closed. Her act was dropping as she got tired again, like back at the crash site. It didn’t help that they were all drenched and getting her to change would mean her getting naked on the skiff with two men who thought she was a boy.

“We’re set,” Johns said as the lights on the skiff and then engine booted up all the way making some creatures shriek a bit, “Riddick get up here and help me make sure this thing gets off the ground, unless you’re not finished checking out your merchandise.”

Riddick pointedly took his time strapping Jack in before he glanced at the holy man to make sure he was strapped in as he moved to drop into the copilot’s seat. They clicked through the checks, and started the take-off sequence even as the creatures started circling them, they seemed to realize this was their last chance to eat something that wasn’t each other. Unconcerned about the creatures in the shadows they communicated back and forth Riddick setting the trajectory Johns firing up the engine, and then they were moving off the ground breaking through the atmosphere easily enough considering how long the skiff had probably been sitting there in the desert heat.

Riddick set the course to fire them towards the shipping lanes before everything went still. It was the waiting game now and that was setting in for everyone. There was no more running, no more creatures, nothing, they just had to wait to be picked up.

“So what are we going to do?” Johns asked slicking some muddy water out of his hair and off the front of his shirt.

“Wait for something to happen.” Riddick shrugged as he unbuckled himself from the copilot’s chair; really he figured that was obvious. The skiff would stop at the shipping lane and then idle to preserve energy for as long as it could. He read the gauges and depending on how they rationed the food and water, if they stayed hungry and thirsty, it would last just about as long as the air would, the air might last a little longer, a lot if they turned off the heating, but in the end they’d be dying of suffocation not starvation pretty much regaurdless. These little vessels were meant to be picked up quick, but advancements kept them running longer by default. Life support would have about a month on it before it started to shut down.

“I meant about you, I’m not going to sit here and pretend I can take you down with a billy-club, as the gun didn’t exactly make the cut to get on the skiff,” Johns explained as Riddick stayed seated.

“Assuming we survive and we’re not picked up by the government, that’s in your ball park,” Riddick said watching the merc next to him. He wouldn’t start making plans, Johns was too much of a wild card.

Johns sat for a second looking out the view port before he said, “We’ll tell ‘em your dead, just like I said before, but if we ever cross paths again I imagine we’ll have it out.” When Riddick shrugged his acceptance of the plan Johns looked behind him at the kid saying, “Hear that, I didn’t lie… Riddick what’s wrong with your brat?”

Riddick stood suddenly finding Jack sitting with her arms resting on her head as she tried to keep breathing. Before he could say anything though Imam beat him to it, “I imagine she’s having a tough time breathing.”

“You mean he?” Johns said taking another good look at the kid as Riddick moved back next to Jack and Imam unbuckled himself standing as he shook his head. No, he meant what he said, Jack was a girl.

“Don’t touch me,” Jack hissed when it became apparent that Imam wanted to help relieve her of her binding. Unfortunately Riddick seemed to back off a bit too.

“It suddenly makes sense,” Johns laughed sitting back in the pilot’s chair which he turned to take in what was happening. So the brat was a girl, that’s why _he_ had never seemed quite right to him. Jack wasn’t a boy. “Would’a dumped a boy right out of my lap if he got all cuddly, but a girl would be different.”

“I felt them when I helped you up, it’ll be easier to breathe if you take the bandages off,” Imam explained gently as Riddick and Jack both glared at Johns. Only when he spoke he got the child’s ire all to himself.

“You’ll be better off dry too,” Riddick said nodding towards her backpack as he released her from her seat.

“I can do… do this all my damn self,” Jack huffed glaring at both of the men around her. Johns was being a dick, but he wasn’t trying to undress her in front of everyone.

Riddick waited a beat before he stood up and motioned for the holy man to take the copilots seat. When Imam got the message he nodded saying as he moved to sit down, “We’ll all look away then.”

Riddick hadn’t meant him, actually, but in order to avoid any arguments (therefore stalling Jack getting that thing off her) he followed suit.

“Yes because space is so interesting,” Johns said moving the chair back where it belonged as Riddick moved to stand behind him and Imam.

Listening carefully to what was going on behind him as he kept an eye on both men Riddick noticed Jack was walking awkwardly, limping a bit, but she took the opportunity to use the bathroom in peace before she started dropping the wet clothes to the floor. He expected Imam to keep his eyes on the stars, but he supposed there was a plus to Jack being young Johns seemed to have no need to watch her. It didn’t sit well with Riddick that he couldn’t see her though, he didn’t see why he couldn’t watch, she was just changing, and she belonged to him anyway. He wanted to make sure she was alright. However at least there was nothing back there to eat her, so for no he could give her space. Boundaries would be figured out when they were on their own. Thirteen was too young for certain things in any case. 

Jack was glad that Riddick was standing between her and the other two while she took care of going to the bathroom and changed everything. She changed into another pair of pants hobbling a bit because of her ankle, it hurt, but it didn’t feel excruciating so she didn’t worry. Frowning a bit Jack pulled out a t-shirt she’d brought along putting it on the chair to be ready to put it on. Pulling off her shirts didn’t hurt too much but a quick look down at herself spoke of bruises from the crash which were in full bloom peeking out from the athletic bandage around her chest. Little scratches littered her arms, and her legs hadn’t fared much better. Undoing the bandage made her shudder, though, even just the first bit at the top under her arm. It made her almost unwilling to continue, because it made her remember that she hadn’t been wearing it for a few hours but they’d been in deep sleep for a while. Your body went into stasis not your clothing, those were liable to get stiff and wrinkled. Her breath came in uneasy stutters and she could hear Johns muttering under his breath after a while. Jack looked to Riddick with a small whimper. It was hard. It hurt to get the smallest piece away from her skin even though the athletic bandage was slightly damp. “Riddick…” Jack finally gave in her voice small, almost as if she didn’t want him to hear her.

He had though, and Riddick was in front of her instantly as she stood in the middle of the cabin just in front of the power cells. Riddick looked her over noting how she was favoring one leg over the other before shuffling them to the seats towards the back sitting her down as he sat next to her making sure he’d be in the way if the others were looking. Not saying anything Riddick got to work letting Jack hold his shoulders as he carefully pulled the bandage from her skin, the only relief so far being where it overlapped over more bandage underneath, the first layer falling away easily after the first initial wraps. Jack looked embarrassed and ashamed as she kept her eyes from him, it was dim enough in the skiff so he pushed the goggles down to sit around his neck to see if he could distract her with his eyes. She glimpsed at him but looked away again when he got to more of the bandage that was touching her skin. Some of it didn’t seem to be stuck but merely molded to her skin leaving it textured, still making it uncomfortable to remove.

Really he wanted to touch her more, push her hair out of her face, nuzzle her temple, little touches to make it better, but there were others and he got the feeling that both were watching him like a hawk. For different reasons he didn’t want to show her too much affection in front of the others. Riddick instead patted her side a little as he unwrapped the bandage grumbling quietly to her. He was surprised, but honestly thankful when the part right over her breasts fell away revealing a strapless sports bra. Getting the last of it off Riddick balled up the grungy material he’d pulled from her and tossed it in the back before he grabbed the shirt behind him. “You wanna take that off for a bit?” Riddick asked even as he was ready to put her shirt on her. The kid looked beat up without her layers, cuts and bruises from their journey, and it made him unsettled.

“I’ll leave it…” Jack breathed her voice hoarse. Her body felt sore and heavy, and even the T-shirt he put on her seemed to weigh too much. When Riddick sat back in his seat properly Imam moved back into the main cabin, and Johns moved the chair to face them again. Jack rubbed at her upper torso where the bandage had made a deep line, and really she wanted to see if she could get feeling back in her chest, but openly groping herself in front of three men didn’t seem like way to go. Even Imam, she noticed, looked towards her chest even if just for the briefest of moments.

“So what’s your real name child?” Imam asked after a moment when no one seemed to want to broach any subject.

“Jack, I was named after my grandfather who died just before my birth,” She said with a small pained shrug. It was the truth, and Jack had found that if you gave detail about little things, people stopped looking for it when it came to the bigger things. If you were open people thought you didn’t hide things. Jack could pick and choose what she was open about, she just couldn’t be tight lipped the entire time.

“I see,” Imam said with a small nod.

Johns completely undisturbed by any of it, it seemed, stood up and wandered over to the pile of stuff they stockpiled into the ship, and pulled out a bottle of booze, knocking back a gulp before returning to his seat. 

After watching him Imam turned back to Jack asking, “Do you have any family?” It seemed while the others didn’t need to talk Imam was uncomfortable with the silence.

“No, they’re all dead,” Jack said listlessly as Riddick lifted his arm to rest on the back of the chairs so she could lean more against his side.

“Oh…” Imam breathed looking down at his hands clasped on his lap. Even Johns had the good graces to look sobered, capping the bottle back up and putting it on the ground next to his foot.

Jack just leaned into Riddick more his sent filling her senses. He smelt like rain and sweat, and something thick and heady, and she turned and sunk down a little so she was buried against his side more. Riddick was probably the only one who knew that while Jack probably didn’t want to talk about it she was more distracted by his sent. Wrapping an arm around her he let Jack relax against him while he puzzled each of the passengers out in his head.

Johns wasn’t a threat right now, wouldn’t be until they were rescued. That was something that would need to be dealt with when the time came, though. There was nothing to be done about it now.

The holy man… he had the look of a man that had nothing left, that had everything taken from him. At the same time Riddick could see faint glimmers of hope in the preachers eyes when he looked at Jack, but Riddick would not have Imam trying to get between him and Jack. Imam would just have to find another reason to believe in the sadist otherwise known as God.

The kid? Riddick’s silver eyes flicked down to her as her breathing became long and slow as she fell asleep against him against him. He wrapped an arm protectively around her before relaxing back to rest up himself. She owed him a debt Jack, a life debt, and he’d have his payment in spades soon enough.


End file.
